


Welcome Wagon for Uncle Hunk and Aunt Shay

by Teal_Rainbeau



Series: The Village It Takes [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ava has questions about babies, Established Hunk/Shay (Voltron), F/M, Fluff and Humor, Fraternal Twin Babies, Gen, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Lance (Voltron) is a Good Friend, M/M, Minor Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Mother's Day, POV Hunk (Voltron), POV Lance (Voltron), Proud Papa Hunk, Shay wants to give birth the natural way, Single Parent Lance (Voltron), Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Twins, baby fever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24247369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teal_Rainbeau/pseuds/Teal_Rainbeau
Summary: Shay decides to give birth at an alternative birthing center, and everyone's invited.7-1-2020 whoops, thought I put the tag for alternate universe already. I went ahead and fixed it.
Relationships: Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) & Original Child Character(s)
Series: The Village It Takes [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1535177
Kudos: 5





	Welcome Wagon for Uncle Hunk and Aunt Shay

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Late mothers day to all my readers!
> 
>  _Update 5-19_ Added some more sensory details to the story and made a correction to Allura's outfit.

Hunk had to wait for the light to turn red. Because red meant **stop**. And his hand would be blue and red by the time Shay stopped gripping it. Other than that, she appeared a lot calmer on the surface in spite of it all.

What a woman, he thought fondly in spite of pain and panic vaporing between his stomach and throat.

And what traffic! Why did everything turn to molasses whenever an emergency took place?

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Lance’s eyes finally flickered to life despite the slight crick in his back and the heaviness sealing his lids. He noticed Ava sounding out some word’s mere inches from him, the familiar device giving her pinched features a delicate glow. _Why was this child reading so early in the morning?_ _And didn’t he tell her not to touch things without asking?_ Lance sighed from the questions swirling in his brain like a cirrus cloud.

“Ava, why do you have Papí’s phone?” he turned on his firm Dad voice, which did little to check her from her phonetic daze.

“The time has _c-c-c-co-o-mm-eee..._ come!”

With a question-saturated hum, Lance repeated the words under his breath and gently took the phone from Ava. There was indeed a text from Hunk five hours prior. It was seven fifteen now.

**_Hunk:_** _THE TIME HAS COME!_

“Good job, baby! You read that so well.” He cooed and embraced her cheek to cheek.

The giant _AHA_ thumped him over the head and shook him from his heavy blanket of sleep. He let a curse slip out and dragged Ava to her room rapidly so she could get ready. She shoved her feet in her Uggs and Lance demanded she keep on her pajamas while he managed to throw on some track shoes and a thinly fabric sweatshirt. They left the house in a record two minutes with Lance’s key in his left hand.

“I can’t leave the house like this! I look ratchet!” Ava threw up her palms with a pout while floating horizontally under Lance’s right arm.

Lance paused and raised a brow at his four-year-old, “Where did you hear that word, young lady?!”

“Tía Rae said it to a girl on TV.”

“Well, **you** can’t say that. That’s not a nice word for little girls.”

So, the next time his sister surprised him with a visit, he would have to have a little talk about her latent vocabulary and a _sobrina_ that soaked in everything.

“Besides, you’re _my_ daughter, so you look fabulous no matter what!” He fastened her in her car seat and quickly rushed to the driver’s side.

When traffic eventually froze, he did a swift, yet thorough comb-through of his daughter’s hair and had it smelling like vanilla cupcakes with a wide, poufy top bun.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

It took Lance a whopping five minutes to find a parking space, mostly because he was blind. And almost five more because Ava dropped her doll under the passenger seat and couldn’t find it prior.

Was this really a hospital, though? Because it looked incredibly tiny and dare Lance say _hospitable_? It was a one-story building dressed in ivy with red shingles that reminded him of a cottage. An immaculate lawn was lined with Marigolds and other flowers…were those Dahlias?

It had to be the right place because he noticed Pidge’s green Volkswagen with Keith’s motorcycle. Pidge and Matt waited in their pajamas with Keith. And Keith was in black jeans with his usual black leather jacket with the burgundy stripes lining the sleeves, hair looking somewhat managed in a curtain hitting past his shoulders.

“Okay, you guys look like you were rushing, _like me._ As for _you,_ Mr. I-woke-up-like-this…!”

“Never actually went to sleep…” Keith murmured. Upon closer look there was a faint tint of blood orange stained in the white of his eyes, slight gray underneath.

“Is this a pajama party, Papí? And where are your pajama’s, Uncle Keith?” Ava tilted her head up at the other man with a hand on her hip

“I, uh...left them at home.”

“Adam and Shiro are already waiting inside. Hunk’s family’s there too.” Pidge said.

Thank God for happy occasions like this. Once everyone got inside, Mr. and Mrs. Garrett took one look at Lance and Ava and gave them the tightest embrace. Lance was pretty much an adopted son to them, which made Ava their honorary granddaughter. And Mrs. Garrett could not get over Ava: how tall she got, how she looked so much like Lance and Jeannette (not to mention her _abuelita_ ).

“Guess what, Nana? I have a new doll and her name is Rachel.”

“That’s a nice name, honey cup. Does she have a home?”

“Yeah, it’s a giant box, but she’s very happy. I drew some windows with a marker…”

Mr. Garrett pulled Lance aside and asked if Hunk had chosen names for the twins yet. But Lance knew as much as they did.

Over the months the couple and their friends brainstormed _Jaden and Willow, Carlton and Hillary, Eddy and Christie, Barrett and Tifa…_

_“Lance, Barrett Garrett? I’m all for rhymes, but not when my child’s reputation is at stake.”_

He remembered Hunk deadpanning among the surrounding ambiance of snickers and sly commentary.

“ _Barry for short?_ ” he shrugged.

Lance came back to the present and assured the man that they would find out much sooner than later. Mostly because the baby was coming in a matter of many hours.

/////////

According to Hunk, the center was set up much like a resort and had every amenity that an expecting mother would love. Snacks, food, etc. and to top off a nice quiet room with staff around the clock. Not a hospital, but a birthing center. White walls and the stench of bleach were absent here; aqua blues, pale beiges and mint green palettes reigned. An immediate floral fragrance mingled with an earthly aroma of something mesquite wafting from somewhere. The waiting room where loved ones were invited had a TV with Planet Earth scenery playing. Reading materials rested on tables next to the plump leather couches. 

“Aunt Pidge?”

“Hmm?”

“Where do babies come from?”

Lance saw her jaw set, but the petrified glimmer in her eyes beckoned for him to rescue her from this question.

“I’ll have to find the answer for you, but maybe your Dad knows.”

He told her once that they come from “eggs”. That backfired. Because the next morning, he was surprised to find his carton of eggs gone and shocked to see a little girl in the backyard positioning said eggs into the brightness of the sun. Her answer: she wanted to make the babies hatch.

“I take it that whole egg origin story didn’t bode well?” A British-tinged voice drafted in the room.

Allura arrived wearing a long blue tunic with black leggings and yellow cardigan, hair wrapped up in a top bun and adorned with a butterfly comb. She looked even more put-together than Keith. So _that’s_ what kept her.

She told everyone that Coran wanted to be there but had to be out of town on rare business. Family emergency.

“Hi, Allura! Your hair looks just like mine!”

“It sure does! Maybe your daddy should do my hair sometime.”

Lance told her the story about Ava’s chicken-hatching schemes. And that the question about the origin of human babies had yet to subside with Shay giving birth and all.

“When I grow up, I wanna have five babies!” She showcased with her fingers up.

“Whoa, slow your role, missy! Gotta learn your ABC’s first!” Lance knew that the child was just light dreaming, but that was something for way down the line. Thanks to her he was now breathing through mild palpitations and fighting a cold sweat. Maybe she should grow up to be a single, independent-ish woman instead.

Ava sung the song by heart while still brushing Rachel’s hair. After the last verse, she asked Lance if she was grown yet.

“Well, you’re definitely ready for Kindergarten.”

Pidge swooped in to rescue the floundering father, “What your papí means to say is that it’s best to be a level 21 before you have kids.”

“Never mind, I have all my life.” Ava frowned with a pout.

“Same here, kid.” Matthew added.

“Well that’s easy for you to say.” Allura mentioned to Matt. She looked as though she were trying to bring up a more family friendly way to explain that notion. “A seed can die if you neglect it for too long…”

Hunk came in just in time. He had sweat glistening along the edges of his forehead, chest heaving up and down steadily. He was clearly a man in total control.

He joined a spot between Pidge and Lance. His hands were so clasped into themselves that they appeared to swell.

“Uncle Hunk, does it hurt Aunt Shay when the babies come out?” Ava stopped playing with her doll long enough to look at the man, ready like a scholar for his answer.

“Uh…Why do you ask, sweetheart?” His tone carried slight trepidation.

“Because on TV, the girls start crying like they’re hurting.”

Shiro suddenly rose from his spot with an uneasy laugh and offered to take Ava for something to eat. Bribing with a chocolate chip muffin brought the girl to her feet happily, and he was even gracious enough to get something for Rachel. Lance mouthed a silent “thank you” with his hands clasped in a prayer.

“Hey, wait for us!” Matthew nearly stumbled out of his chair rushing to catch up to them. Adam gave Shiro a patient look before happily walking up to him and lacing his hand into his.

“Those two should’ve adopted before their wedding.” Lance mouthed to Keith.

“They’re just busy enjoying each other.”

“What about you, Keith? Ever settle down with offspring of your own?” Allura presented the question like it was a juicy game of Truth or Dare.

“Nah! Kosmo’s his baby. He probably feeds that dog better than he feeds himself.” Pidge mocked.

He huffed with dry laughter, “Haven’t given that a second thought. Ava already feels like a daughter to me…even though she’s my niece. Also, _my_ 4-year-old already knows about the birds and the bees.”

“HA! You’re a comedian. But seriously, man. Your genes deserve to be passed to the next generation.

Keith let out a heavy yawn and Lance sighed heavily, averting his gaze in a fog of offense. He knew he could be a motormouth and surely Keith would’ve had enough of a gall at this point in their relationship to tell him to shut up.

“Sorry! Think my insomnia’s wearing off.” Keith sat up and rubbed the back of his own neck.

Then comfort food was just what the man needed to cement his bedtime despite it being early in the afternoon. And everyone read their texts, each from Adam and Shiro asking who was in the mood for barbecue on the outdoor patio. All free and just for friends and family of the expectant mothers.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Hunk did not touch his food right away. He could barely think of eating a corn muffin let alone an entrée from some unknown team of cooks. And he could not sit there and pretend that his friends and parents were sitting there enjoying their meals without staring at him.

“What’s wrong with the food?” Mrs. Garrett asked anxiously.

Hunk answered nothing and forced himself to eat a spoon of corn. 

“Gotta keep up your strength, you’re still in for a long night.” Shiro urged.

“I know. But it’s like my stomach has closed shop.” It was as if the gleeful anticipation of Christmas washed over him, along with the tennis ball-sized mass of anxiety settling and expanding until he could barely swallow the vapor in his throat.

Lance giggled to himself as he pulled a strip of pork, “I get it. The morning Ava was born, I was way too excited to eat. But when Jeannie was finally discharged, I swear I was gonna chew off somebody’s arm until we got home.”

Ava was a beautiful six pounds five ounces. She inherited her mother’s large, plum-rued eyes with the unmistakable narrow bridge of a McClain nose. Sun-blessed tan skin. Wavy, auburn hair.

 _“Hey, beautiful girl. We’re gonna have a ball together, yes we are.”_ He goofily put a finger to his lips. _“But don’t tell your mamí.”_

And yeah, while Jeannie was riding her last wave of euphoria, he might have shed a few tranquil rounds of his own happy tears.

Until one minute he swore the newborn tilted her head and gave him a knowing smirk.

He remembered her baby babbles and how her first words were a strange blur between _papí_ and _mamí_. The day he dashed from the water to his wife when their eleven-month-old took her first steps on their beach blanket. When she expelled her first sneeze from allergies…

His baby was going to be five this summer. And Jeannette was gone a year and a half almost. Time really did move like a bullet train…

And Hunk would get twice the milestones: A boy and a girl were getting ready for their debut and it was going to be wicked.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

In between everyone leaving to take care of their own business and preparing for work the next day, Hunk was relieved that _somebody_ stuck behind. And of course, it was Lance. Being the only parent in their group of friends, how could he not have the heart to stay with his parents despite Ava pretending not to be an exhausted Weeble. But the man had work tomorrow and Hunk only expected his moral support, not some undying gesture of extreme loyalty.

“Lance, take Ava and get some sleep. I got Mom and Pops here.”

The man pouted, which even after all of these years still fit his persona somehow, “But you were there for _me_! It wouldn’t be fair if…”

“No, it’s not fair, and it’s not the same, buddy. _I_ didn’t have a child attached to my hip when I was there for you. But you need to nurture your child and yourself now.”

Lance narrowed his eyes sadly but recovered with a warm smile. He shook his head and rose to give him a hug. And Hunk decided to return the best bear hug send-off.”

“Mr. Garrett, your wife needs you!” The nurse smiled and waved for him to follow. 

“Putting my foot down, McClain!”

“Alright! Just go ahead!” Lance shooed. “And congratulations, man!”

“You tell that little cupcake that her uncle loves her, and we’ll see her tomorrow.”

////////

Seven pounds two ounces each felt like the weight of the world in Hunk’s arms at three forty-five in the morning. And it was a world he’d choose lifetimes over. Nothing was heavier than his heart as he looked at their perfect features. Each had their daddy’s smooth brown skin and perfect nose, with the wide warmth of Shay’s deep mahogany eyes. Those eyes remained closed for now.

A distant hour ago, Hunk wondered how on God’s green earth Shay was laboring with only straining moans and controlled breathing. Crescents of sweat formed at her temples and eventually became a wide curtain down her neck. But during all the coaching and cheering a different state of euphoric bliss leaked into Hunk’s bloodstream. The love of his life was having his children, and he got to be with her in the process.

Now Shay was knocked out, in a good way. Her neck-length brown hair was disheveled and her medium brown skin glowed. And what a beautiful reality his sweetheart would be a part of when she woke up.

After the babies were lovingly engulfed by their grandparents, he took out his phone and sent a text for everyone to see when they woke up.

**_Hunk:_** _Everyone give a resounding round of applause to Shay!_

 **_Hunk:_ ** _And a warm welcome to Kenneth and Camille Garrett. Born 3:40 this morning. Seven pounds two ounces each. Ken is three minutes older :)_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading this, thank you!  
> I deleted my Tumblr a couple of weeks back, so I'm communicating mostly on here for now. I wanna open up an Instagram account to put snippets and other goodies on that site, and in the meantime I'll probably share artwork here on AO3. (Just finished a picture of Ava with an umbrella that will be on Hidden in the Sun.)
> 
> _Update 5-19_  
> [ Instagram is up :)](https://www.instagram.com/teal_rainbeau/)  
> 


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